Trump's Infrastructure Plan Passes the Buck to States

Trump says, "It is time to give Americans the working, modern infrastructure they deserve." Americans couldn't agree more but disagree with Trump on how to pay for it.

America needs massive investments in infrastructure to make up for decades of neglect from under-funding. Photo: CC 2.0, Pat Pilon

According to Trump's Legislative Outline for Rebuilding Infrastructure in America, he proposes that America spend $1.5 trillion over the next tens years on infrastructure, which is a good start but nowhere near what is actually needed. In contrast, the US military will likely spend about ten times that over the same period. Interest on the skyrocketing national debt could also be ten times the infrastructure spending at current trajectories.

The proposed federal contribution to infrastructure would only be $200 billion over the ten years, or a measly $20 billion a year and that would come from cutting other public services.

State and local agencies would have to fund the rest by cutting essential services, increasing taxes and transfer more public assets to rent-seeking corporations.

Unfortunately, most Americans won't ever read Trump's plan - available at http://www.trillions.buzz/files/Trump-Infrastructure-Plan.pdf and realize that it is a blueprint to defund infrastructure, roll back environmental protections, privatize public assets and substantially raise state and local taxes. They will just hear "It is time to give Americans the working, modern infrastructure they deserve" and feel good about supporting their President.